Built to Last: Nov.4, 2007
DAVID M 8 Sunday, November 4, 2007
Built to Last
Text: 2 Samuel: 7
Big Idea: We want to build a house, but only God can build a lasting “house” through us.
Stephen Covey has written a sequel to his best-selling book the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People called the 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness.
In The 8th Habit, Covey acknowledges the ongoing need to be effective in our world, but also argues that we human being are called to more just “effectiveness”, we called to greatness. We are to find our unique voice and make difference in the world.
Management consultant Peter Block says, “Each of has a vision for greatness, even if it has never been put into words.”
Each of us long to make a mark in the world, but we sometimes wonder if what we do will last…
In mid-1990’s I was at the Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C where Mother Teresa was speaking. Before Mother Teresa came up to speak, the then U.S. President Bill Clinton came to the podium and he said, “We live in a city (referring to D.C.) where we all spend so much time obsessed with what people think of us and how we will look in the morning paper. Five years people won’t remember what we did…. Five hundred years from now everything we see in this hotel room will be dust…
I remember in Bill Clinton’s words that even he, as one of the most influential people in the world at least at that time, had a yearning to make a lasting difference, but was also aware that the things we do may be very temporary…
Each of us has a yearning to make a difference. The paradox, however, as we’ll see implied in our text today is our work is initiated only by us, it will not last…
David in the scriptures had a strong desire to do something significant--something for God.
David realized that he was living in a beautiful place, a palace of cedar, and he wanted to build God a house. He talked it over with his pastor Nathan. Nathan encouraged him to go for it.
In 2 Samuel Chapter 7, verse 3, Nathan replied to the king:
3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
But that night God spoke to Nathan and said David is not the one to build my house. So awkwardly and sheepishly, Nathan had to go back to David, the king and withdraw the building permit. God says “no” to David, but exactly what does God say to David.
In verse 7-9, 11, 16
7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" '
8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth…
11 "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you…
16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "
God says, “You want to build me a house—no, you are not the one to do that, but I will build a house for you.”
What does God mean when he says I will build a house? What God mean when he says I will your house will be established forever?
God makes the astounding promise to David that he will have a descendent who will sit on the throne forever…
But in 586 BC Jerusalem falls to Babylon and thereafter there is no descendant of David on the physical throne of Israel, but the descendant that God was referring to would come years later. He would be the latter son of David, also called the Son of Man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ…and that Son, Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, raised on the third day. He has been exalted at the right hand of God and he is, and shall reign, forever and ever...
David wanted to build a house for God, but God said I will build a house for you that will last forever…
The irony is that if we want to build a house--even if we want to build a house “for God” that house will not last. In Psalm 127 we read that “unless the Lord builds the house”—and house here can mean physical house, but likely is referring to a family, community, or some spiritual work… that house will not last. Its builders labor in vain.
So, part of God’s call for us is to allow God to build our house…
Most of us have probably heard the expression, “Don’t just sit there! Do something!” But, in the economy of God, sometimes God says, “Don’t just do something. Sit there. Be still before me. Be still and know that I am God. Part of our call is to simply discern where God is working and join him.
Trust that I will do something in and through you.” Or, as Father Thomas Green puts it, “Don’t swim. Float. Let the current of God take you where it will. Trust, obey and see where God leads.”
As I shared before, when I first came to 10th as a shaky, inexperienced young pastor, I was sitting in my car just outside the church with my mentor Leighton Ford. I asked him to give me some counsel. He said, “Remember that God is an artist and he will not lead you copy anyone else. Seek God for a unique vision for this place.
Part is to invite to be the artist the paints our life…
There is a person in our community, Toni Dolfo-Smith (spouse of our senior associate pastor, Mardi, and leader of a powerful ministry called Living Waters) who I have asked to come and share part of his story. As you hear his story, may God show us how he can write our story.
TONI DOLFO-SMITH (testimony 18 minutes)
CLOSING….
How do we become people who trust God enough to write our story?
It’s by having the deep conviction that God is for us.
How do we get that conviction?
By looking to one who sits on David’s thrown forever.
When see how God held back nothing, but gave us his greatest treasure in Christ, we can trust God enough to entrust all of our lives to him and ask Him his story through our story.
Lead in to communion:
On the night Jesus was betrayed see how God held back nothing, but gave us his greatest treasure in Christ, we can trust God enough to entrust all of our lives to him and ask Him his story through our story…
(The sermon can be heard on line at: www.tenth.ca/audio)
Built to Last
Text: 2 Samuel: 7
Big Idea: We want to build a house, but only God can build a lasting “house” through us.
Stephen Covey has written a sequel to his best-selling book the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People called the 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness.
In The 8th Habit, Covey acknowledges the ongoing need to be effective in our world, but also argues that we human being are called to more just “effectiveness”, we called to greatness. We are to find our unique voice and make difference in the world.
Management consultant Peter Block says, “Each of has a vision for greatness, even if it has never been put into words.”
Each of us long to make a mark in the world, but we sometimes wonder if what we do will last…
In mid-1990’s I was at the Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C where Mother Teresa was speaking. Before Mother Teresa came up to speak, the then U.S. President Bill Clinton came to the podium and he said, “We live in a city (referring to D.C.) where we all spend so much time obsessed with what people think of us and how we will look in the morning paper. Five years people won’t remember what we did…. Five hundred years from now everything we see in this hotel room will be dust…
I remember in Bill Clinton’s words that even he, as one of the most influential people in the world at least at that time, had a yearning to make a lasting difference, but was also aware that the things we do may be very temporary…
Each of us has a yearning to make a difference. The paradox, however, as we’ll see implied in our text today is our work is initiated only by us, it will not last…
David in the scriptures had a strong desire to do something significant--something for God.
David realized that he was living in a beautiful place, a palace of cedar, and he wanted to build God a house. He talked it over with his pastor Nathan. Nathan encouraged him to go for it.
In 2 Samuel Chapter 7, verse 3, Nathan replied to the king:
3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
But that night God spoke to Nathan and said David is not the one to build my house. So awkwardly and sheepishly, Nathan had to go back to David, the king and withdraw the building permit. God says “no” to David, but exactly what does God say to David.
In verse 7-9, 11, 16
7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" '
8 "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth…
11 "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you…
16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "
God says, “You want to build me a house—no, you are not the one to do that, but I will build a house for you.”
What does God mean when he says I will build a house? What God mean when he says I will your house will be established forever?
God makes the astounding promise to David that he will have a descendent who will sit on the throne forever…
But in 586 BC Jerusalem falls to Babylon and thereafter there is no descendant of David on the physical throne of Israel, but the descendant that God was referring to would come years later. He would be the latter son of David, also called the Son of Man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ…and that Son, Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, raised on the third day. He has been exalted at the right hand of God and he is, and shall reign, forever and ever...
David wanted to build a house for God, but God said I will build a house for you that will last forever…
The irony is that if we want to build a house--even if we want to build a house “for God” that house will not last. In Psalm 127 we read that “unless the Lord builds the house”—and house here can mean physical house, but likely is referring to a family, community, or some spiritual work… that house will not last. Its builders labor in vain.
So, part of God’s call for us is to allow God to build our house…
Most of us have probably heard the expression, “Don’t just sit there! Do something!” But, in the economy of God, sometimes God says, “Don’t just do something. Sit there. Be still before me. Be still and know that I am God. Part of our call is to simply discern where God is working and join him.
Trust that I will do something in and through you.” Or, as Father Thomas Green puts it, “Don’t swim. Float. Let the current of God take you where it will. Trust, obey and see where God leads.”
As I shared before, when I first came to 10th as a shaky, inexperienced young pastor, I was sitting in my car just outside the church with my mentor Leighton Ford. I asked him to give me some counsel. He said, “Remember that God is an artist and he will not lead you copy anyone else. Seek God for a unique vision for this place.
Part is to invite to be the artist the paints our life…
There is a person in our community, Toni Dolfo-Smith (spouse of our senior associate pastor, Mardi, and leader of a powerful ministry called Living Waters) who I have asked to come and share part of his story. As you hear his story, may God show us how he can write our story.
TONI DOLFO-SMITH (testimony 18 minutes)
CLOSING….
How do we become people who trust God enough to write our story?
It’s by having the deep conviction that God is for us.
How do we get that conviction?
By looking to one who sits on David’s thrown forever.
When see how God held back nothing, but gave us his greatest treasure in Christ, we can trust God enough to entrust all of our lives to him and ask Him his story through our story.
Lead in to communion:
On the night Jesus was betrayed see how God held back nothing, but gave us his greatest treasure in Christ, we can trust God enough to entrust all of our lives to him and ask Him his story through our story…
(The sermon can be heard on line at: www.tenth.ca/audio)
posted by Shigematsu at 2:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home